HISTORY OF POLITICAL THOUGHT

The course aims to provide students with the key notions of the history of political doctrines starting from some central figures of philosophical-political thought (Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Hume, Rousseau, Kant, Marx, Mill). Particular attention will be paid to contractualism in the history of philosophical-political thought. The course also offers the opportunity to reflect on the history of political thought from the perspective of comparative political theory. To this end, as a special part of the program, the essential lines of Arab-Islamic, Chinese and Indian political thought will be studied.

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Knowledge and understanding Students are expected to acquire: - knowledge of the issues and problems that characterize the history of political thought; - understanding of the political theories underlying this debate (knowledge of the differences between the various schools and currents and ability to apply the theories to current practical problems); - improved ability to critically engage with texts and problems that characterize contemporary political debate; and - ability to distinguish and recognize connections between the theoretical perspective studied and other perspectives, including historical, empirical, and sociological perspectives. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: By the end of the course, students will be able to: - To argue and discuss in public, with favorable and unfavorable positions, their theses in light of the theories studied; - to formulate objections and to discuss and work in groups to address presentations and/or discussions. This will lead to a greater ability to confront others on the issues and problems that characterize contemporary political debate. - To write short essays on the themes proposed in the course. In this sense, the course will guarantee at the individual level an increased analytical and critical capacity. The evaluation of the achievement of these objectives will take place through a system of constant evaluation related to group discussions held in the classroom, the active participation in class, and through the intermediate written test provided during the course. Autonomy of judgment: thanks to the critical approach proposed and to the opportunity that students will have to discuss in class and to participate in classroom presentations, students will develop critical awareness and will be able to formulate autonomous judgments on the main political issues and problems with the ability to argue and compare. Finally, they will be able to develop their own theses and support them by knowing how to distinguish between the various arguments for and against the theoretical background acquired. Communication skills: the student will have developed the ability to communicate using rhetorical technique and making use of clear and structured arguments. He/she will learn to manage the confrontation with other students on the level of argumentation and to face the debate in a critical and analytical way, without losing sight of the reflection on the historical and social context. This will be ensured by the classroom discussions in which students will be involved and by the activities of discussion for and against and debate on the issues and problems studied. Learning Skills: the student will be able to carry on their academic journey by practicing the rhetorical, writing, and academic discussion techniques acquired in this course. They will also be able to approach other disciplines with a critical spirit, depth of historical perspective, and the important theoretical and epistemological foundation provided by the course.

Core Program - Analysis and study of some classics of political thought: Plato Aristotle Hobbes Locke Hume Rousseau Kant Marx Mill Special Part: Reflection on non-Western political thought: Arab-Islamic political thought Chinese Political Thought Indian Political Thought

S. Maffettone e S. Veca (a cura di), L'idea di giustizia da Platone a Rawls, Laterza. S. Maffettone, Politica, Mondadori Educational, Le Monnier, 2019. J. Rawls, Lezioni di storia della filosofia politica, Feltrinelli On Plato and Aristotle, there will be papers on Luiss Learn

Frontal lessons Lectures with audio-visual support Classroom discussions It is expected that some online classes will be devoted to oral presentations by students. In addition, it will be possible to have outside guests who are experts in a specific area of the history of political thought during the online classes.

Interest in the discipline. Have passed the exam with at least a grade of 27/30.